--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fighting back by indigenous people…" description: "\"The fighting back by indigenous people started in 1900: OK, they've cornered us. Our population is almost gone; they've defeated us. From there, the mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/john-ralston-saul-3128_defeated_the-fighting-back-by-indigenous-people-s_1360866.jpg" --- # The fighting back by indigenous people started in 1900… ![“The fighting back by indigenous people started in 1900: OK, they've cornered us. Our population is almost gone; they've defeated us. From there, the modern Indian rights movement started, and it was a very hard fight, with a lot of stuff going against them.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/john-ralston-saul-3128_defeated_the-fighting-back-by-indigenous-people-s_1360866.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/john-ralston-saul-3128_defeated_the-fighting-back-by-indigenous-people-s_1360866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/john-ralston-saul-3128_defeated_the-fighting-back-by-indigenous-people-s_1360866.jpg) > “The fighting back by indigenous people started in 1900: OK, they've cornered us. Our population is almost gone; they've defeated us. From there, the modern Indian rights movement started, and it was a very hard fight, with a lot of stuff going against them.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indigenous peoples faced near‑extinction but sparked a resilient rights movement despite overwhelming oppression. **In simple terms:** Indigenous fight sparked modern rights movement. Key Takeaway Support and learn from Indigenous resilience. Themes resistance rights colonialism survival Mood determined reflective Type historical activist When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - education - community building Key Concepts colonial oppression identity reclamation social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can allies effectively support Indigenous sovereignty? - What lessons does this history offer for modern movements? A Different Perspective Historical narratives may oversimplify complex causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Fighting Indigenous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-indigenous-4656965/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Indian Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian-rights-3643909/) [Indians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indians/) [Indigenous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous/) [Indigenous people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous-people/) [Rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-movement/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) ## Related quotes > [Before AIM, Indians were dispirited, defeated, and culturally dissolving. People were ashamed to be Indian. You didn't see the young people wearing braids or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/before-aim-indians-were-dispirited-defeated-and-culturally-dissolving/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [In the present, the way benevolence is expressed is in conceptualizing the Native as a historical relic; US people have to be constantly reminded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxanne-dunbar-ortiz/in-the-present-the-way-benevolence-is-expressed-is-in-conceptualizing/) [Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxanne-dunbar-ortiz/) > [US law and international human rights law have radically diverged in the past years in terms of the recognition of indigenous people's rights. International…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-williams-jr/us-law-and-international-human-rights-law-have-radically-diverged-in/) [Robert A. Williams, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-williams-jr/) > [Being the only Indian in class, I had to be able to stand up and defend myself and debate the others when they tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/being-the-only-indian-in-class-i-had-to-be-able-to-stand-up-and/) [Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/) > [How can we possibly say the root of the Canadian approach to citizenship and immigration comes from Europe or the United States? 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